This invention relates to valves for controlling gas flow to gas-fired appliances, and particularly to an improved construction thereof which includes a polymeric material valve body.
Valves for controlling gas flow to gas-fired appliances, such as clothes dryers, typically incorporate valve bodies produced from metal castings. Typical of such valve bodies are those shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,424,830. While such metallic valve bodies are quite satisfactory, it is believed that it would be a significant cost advantage to make the valve body of a polymeric material instead of metal. Cost savings would be realized, for example, due to the cost of a machine for molding a polymeric material part being considerably less than the cost of a machine for die-casting a similar metal part. Cost savings would also be realized due to longer usable life of a mold which makes a polymeric material part as compared to the life of a mold which makes a metallic part. Also, cost savings would be realized because various operations such as deburring, degreasing, and machining required for metallic parts, are not required for polymeric material parts.